Abstracts Of Psychiatric Assessment

Psychiatric assessment definition states that it is the process of obtaining a psychiatric evaluation on a person who may be mentally ill. The goal is to make an accurate diagnosis, assess and address risk factors, and set goals for treatment. In most professions, specific guidelines need to be followed when conducting an assessment or evaluation. Professionals need to be knowledgeable in the subject matter and the diverse range of rules and regulations. These guidelines provide a common way of assessing one’s skill and knowledge. For example, practitioners are expected to maintain current knowledge to make informed diagnoses in the medical field. 

Psychiatric assessment definition:

Psychiatric assessment is defined as the judgement of mental health status and functioning and diagnosis and treatment recommendations. It can include a review of papers and questionnaires, observation of presentation and interpersonal relationships, and cognitive testing. Assessment may also involve interactions with other professionals such as social workers, nurses, or psychologists to form a complete picture of the patient’s situation.

Psychiatric Assessment definition can also be given as the process of gathering information about a person to assist in making mental health diagnoses. This can include evaluating thoughts, feelings, behaviours, and other symptoms.

A psychiatrist might use several tests to evaluate an individual’s psychiatric condition. Psychiatrists are particularly interested in assessing dimensions like mood instability and disorganisation that persist over time.

Psychiatrists typically conduct psychiatric assessments based on the (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) DSM-IV criteria for mental disorders. The DSM states that an individual needs to have at least one of seven symptoms (e.g., delusions, hallucinations, disorganised speech) and have significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning. The DSM-5 is the most recent update to the DSM. It has eliminated some previous disorders and combined others into larger categories. Mental health practitioners who do not specialise in psychiatry must follow their respective professional guidelines. In psychology, assessment must adhere to a specific model encompassing all aspects of care (i.e., psychological evaluation or testing, diagnosis, treatment).

In nursing, a psychiatric assessment should focus primarily on five areas; mental status/cognition, behaviour problems in patients, environmental factors, physical problems, and psychosocial evaluation factors. Nurses are trained to gather both objective and subjective information in their assessments to come to a diagnosis or identify treatment goals. The assessment process requires nurses to collect subjective data and interpret it. The patient’s cultural background is taken into account when conducting an assessment.

Laypeople may request an assessment, social workers and therapists are unaware of an individual’s psychiatric history (e.g., employers), and medical professionals (e.g., physicians, nurses).

According to the Psychiatric assessment definition, these assessments have significant consequences for the person who undergoes them and their family members. Therefore, the practitioner must obtain as much information as possible about the patient’s symptoms, history, and personal traits before beginning an examination to allow for accurate and unbiased observations and analysis.

Psychiatric Assessment tools:

 A shortlist of the most commonly used psychiatric assessment tools is presented below.

1. Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA)
2. Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) with Pictures 
3. (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory) MMPI-2 
4. MMPI-A (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory Adolescent)
5. Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test
6. The CANTAB: Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery. 
7. Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) with Pictures and Verbal 
8. Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS) 
9. Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN) 
10. Emotional Intelligence Test (EIQ) 
11. Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS) 
12. NEO Personality Inventory (NEO PI-R)
13. Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-II (MCMI-II) 
14. Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) 
15. Behavioural Assessment System for Children (BASC-3) 

Psychiatric assessment stages:

The assessment process consists of three main stages:

• The initial stage of an Assessment is known as the SCID-Screening; it is designed to identify mental disorders that need specialist psychiatric examination by determining whether or not the person has symptoms indicative of any particular mental disorder. It is only a screening tool and does not provide personalised diagnoses. It is based on the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) developed by section 14 of the World Health Organisation (WHO) criteria for the differential diagnosis of psychiatric disorders.

• The second stage of assessment is known as a full mental health assessment, which involves examining personal history, family history, social history, and any neurological findings.

• The third assessment stage is known as a mental state examination or mental status examination. This involves an evaluation of the patient’s appearance and behavior, intelligence, level of functioning, etc.

Conclusion: 

The Psychiatric Assessment definition describes an interplay between psychiatry tools & psychological evaluation. Psychiatry assesses the diagnosis and severity of mental disorders, whereas psychologists focus mainly on assessing cognitive abilities, personality, and behavioural problems. All mental health professionals work together to diagnose the problem accurately and provide the most appropriate treatment for mental illness individuals. Psychiatric assessments are used to assess a person’s mental health, indicate possible causes of mental illness, and assist in developing specific treatment plans. They are also used to determine the severity of a psychological or psychiatric illness or the effectiveness of a treatment program.